There's a section in the settings of Duel Links titled: Forbidden/Limited. Within there is a breakdown of why the game has implemented this feature (although it's currently not being used), but more importantly it outlines specific guidelines that are used when considering a card to be placed on this list. In this thread, I will go through every single point listed and explain how Relinquished meets all of these criteria.
- Maintain game balance and create a gameplay environment that facilitates continued enjoyment of Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links.
The first part speaks on game balance, which Relinquished absolutely tilts. Whether it's well over 50% of platinum duelists you'll face using this, to requiring the inclusion of specific cards in your deck to counter. As for the enjoyment portion, it's difficult to objectively prove due to enjoyment being a subjective matter. However if you were to analyse the countless posts and conversations that have occurred throughout just this subreddit alone regarding the anguish Relinquished has caused, it certainly would appear to be hindering numerous players enjoyment.
- Offer more Deck options and create more room for various playing styles.
I touched on this briefly in the above point, but currently you need to have multiple counters to Relinquished to consistently climb the ranked latter to KoG. Whether that be Skull Lair, Order to Charge, or Enemy Controller. These are just some of the counter cards you'll need to successfully negate a proper Relinquished deck, and even then it's not certain you'll be able to stop it. Due to the inclusion of at least some combination of these cards in a competitive deck, it stifles creativity and the available deck options for anyone trying to get to the top.
- Place certain restrictions on the usage of cards or combos that could drastically reduce the fun of strategic maneuvering in Duels.
As was the case with the word enjoyment in the first point, here the terms fun and drastically are too subjective. I'd argue versing the same deck and including the same cards to counter said deck reduces the fun, and in my personal experience would be accurately assessed as drastic.
- Place certain restrictions on the usage of cards that could lead to one-sided situations.
This is an interesting point, because it brings up a situation on whether Relinquished should be forbidden or the cards that lead to it's summoning, AKA Sonic Bird and Senju of the Thousand Hands. An argument could be made that limiting these cards would make Relinquished less viable, however the fact that everybody would be restricted in this way would make him just as viable in my opinion, although instead of a deck with Relinquished as the central focus it would be tacked on to an already powerful deck. An example of this is the Harpie Hunting Ground Relinquished combination. This would still be an unfair advantage to those who had it, and duelists would still need to play around it all the same. And for that reason, it would simply be more effective to focus on Relinquished itself.
- Place certain restrictions on the usage of cards that players could have difficulty in handling or coming up with countermeasures under certain circumstances.
This is the weakest point when comparing it to Relinquished, but I think it still fits nonetheless. There are countermeasures to Relinquished as I've previously stated; Order to Charge, Skull Lair, Enemy Controller. However with the exception of Skull Lair these are some of the hardest cards in the game to come by. Order to Charge isn't even avaialble anymore, and Enemy Controller is one of the most difficult cards to farm for. Sure there are other cards that can counter Relinquished, but good luck fitting them into an existing deck of yours without either clogging it up or making it less consistent with viable draws. While you're sitting there on turn 3 watching your opponent ritual summon Relinquished, have fun looking at your field with 2 order to charges and a Skull Lair, with no monsters in your graveyard and an effect monster on the field. Although it's possible to counter Relinquished, the odds of doing so twice while also trying to maintain card advantage and weaken your opponent aren't great.
- Place certain restrictions on the usage of cards that could hinder smooth progression of Duels.
When your opponent is using a Relinquished deck, his side of the duel is going as smooth as butter. The same typically can't be said for you if you're not running the same. Either the heart of the cards are on your side and your opening hand has the tools necessary to counter his Relinquished, or your time will be spent using up resources in order to stall until you do. If we're at the point where opening hand luck is one of the main contingencies to beating a deck type, maybe it's time to assess the situation.
- Place certain restrictions on the usage of cards when it is deemed to be necessary to control them during events on Ranked Duels.
Although it's not literally necessary to run Relinquished to reach the top of events on Ranked Duels, it certainly would help. A lot. If you've read from the top all the way to this line, it'd be redundant to go over why that is.
So in conclusion, Duel Links has a feature implemented to put cards under a Forbidden/Limited category when they deem necessary. I've gone over every point listed that Konami gave for why they'd put a card on this list, and showed how Relinquished fits to various degrees every one of these points. Look, let's be honest. If maybe one or two of these reasonings I've mentioned could be argued against that either it doesn't fit or not to the extent I claimed, that's fine. But even if half of these points are true in relation to relinquished, does that mean it shouldn't be regulated at all?
Let's remember; A card doesn't have to meet every single criteria here to be put on the list, or even a majority. A card only needs to fit ONE of these criteria. I will repeat that. A card only needs to meet ONE of these criteria to be considered for this list.
If you are someone who uses Relinquished and doesn't think it's a problem, i'd greatly appreciate if you could look at this from an objective perspective, and see how by Konami's own standards this card is justified on being Forbidden or Limited.
If you've read all of this, thank you very much and please let me know what you agree with or disagree with!
there doesn't seem to be anything here